Audax rides

LWL ride report
I doubt I could’ve been less prepared…. I’d returned from a week of burritos burgers and beer in Houston further complicated by jetlag and a broken rib.
I started building my bike late on Wed. night and a Fri. shakedown commute was my first ride in a fortnight so I was at the 0600 startline seriously sleep deprived and feeling torpid .

It wasn’t the usual crowd, barely a Carradice in sight and I was the only fixedwheel.
With such a strong Albionphotoshoot energy it was no great surprise to find ourselves in a bunch bowling through the Chilterns at 35kph. After being spat out of the back on the Longdown hill descent, Charlie and I reverted to party pace and reached Islip control (61km) by 0800

After a sausage bap, coffee and croissant, Xavier, Rich, Charlie and I set off through the Cotswolds toward Tewksbury. Xavier was on top form working hard at the front and Charlie was dropped by mutual agreement. My preparation regime was starting to kick-in and steep climbs around Stow-on-the-Wold were problematic on 68” fixed with a broken rib. (Some hills were walked).

We reached Tewksbury (145km) around 1145 and I took the opportunity to tweak my noisy mudguards and irritating charging cable. While tucking into my Greggs steak bake, cross-legged on the pavement, I was invited to “come and sit over here bab we don’t want you getting piles” so I finished my bake and caramel/custard donut in the company of a lovely old lady gassing away whilst chainsmoking superkings.

The leg to Chepstow was hell. My body had decided it was past my bedtime and my eyelids were heavy as lead. I ran out of water walked some of Yat rock and began to formulate plans to bail. I got dropped by Xavier and Rich and was super-close to snoozing when my Wahoo displayed a chequered flag to announce that I’d completed the route. Luckily i was able to pick up signs to Chepstow and thanks to the magic of WhatsApp location-share, reached the control (218 km) around 1545.

Over a truly superb chicken curry I considered the relative merits of riding to Temple Meads and getting the train home vs. a couple of hours kip on the churchall floor and riding the rest alone. I was erring toward the latter when I spied that the pudding options included ginger sponge with custard and from there on everything changed.

We set off at a decent pace enjoying the sunshine and mystical properties of spongy pudding, over the bridge, up and over the Somerset monument (more walking) we passed a lady walking a large cow down the middle of the road, and arrived in Malmesbury (270km) around 1830 for saddlebag snacks in the square (I commend to you the Pocket Coffee - a chocolate, filled with sugary espresso) On a nearby pub table I spotted Cavaliers and Puritans enjoying a pint together in the evening sun, great to see those guys have patched things up after all these years.

If the Tewksbury-Chepstow was Hell, Malmesbury-Lambourne was heaven. By this time we were a 4 (joined by Nicki) and by the enjoyed the most fabulous golden hour/sunset at a smooth and easy pace. With such crappy weather of late this was a complete joy and we arrived at the control just as it was getting dark (2045 - 316 km)

Lambourne control was as good as the others with superb (and plentiful) food and cheerful volunteers (including fellow fixedwheel fancier Bryn).
With the darkness came the cold and even indoors my teeth were chattering so I grabbed another helping of rice pudding and peaches and put on my raincoat and gloves.

We’d picked up an old friend Ray and his pal and our group of 6 made light work of the run through Great Shefford to join the A4 at Newbury. I love this bit when you switch into night-ride mode and concentrate on that hole in the darkness created by your headlamp. No bandwidth for fatigue or pain, just laser focus on staying 50cm away from the red light in front, following the curve of the road and avoiding potholes.
Shortly after we hit the A4 Rich’s front wheel clipped the kerb at full speed sending him and the bike over the safety bollards and into the road. It could have been a complete disaster but mercifully it was a load of gravel rash and puncture. The front wheel still ran in the fork and his brakes and shifters worked after being bashed back into shape so we were on the move again in less that 30min.
On the run into Reading I was really struggling to keep up with all the big-rings-and-tri-bars and my gear choice was feeling like an act of self-harm. Rich was suffering as the adrenaline wore off and we paired up. Nicki had also been dropped and waited up we worked together to catch the others at 0015 at Henley control (377 km).

Xavier had Di2 troubles and was stuck in small-to-small so the 4 of us regrouped for the final push on our regular weekend roads. I knew Nicki was hoping to stick to her 2am schedule so she and I cracked on, up out of Wooburn, witnessing a small kerfuffle on the A40 between a squad of coppers and a free-running horse (commonplace nowadays). i walked one last climb (Mumford Lane - insert banjo/vision of hell witticism here) and rolled into the Arrivee at 0210 (410 km).
Rich & Xavier arrived shortly after and we were all soon demolishing baked beans & sausages on toast, reliving the highs & lows and sharing tips to prevent gravel rash turning into flesh rot. So on that cheery note I’ll say it was well worth it and I’ll do my best to get a ticket to ride next year

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